Bean-sorting machine.



C. E. SMITH.

v BEAN SORTING MACHINE. APPLIoATIoN rILEnNov. 1, 1912'.

1,067,447, Patented July 15, 1913.

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. ATTORNEY coLuMmA I'LANuuRAvn cu., wAsmNG'rnN, :L c.

CHARLES E. SMITH, OF

SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

BEAN-SDRTING MACHINE.

Application filed November l, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1913.

serial No. 729,126.

To all lwhom, i may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the county ofSaginaw and State of ltlichigan, have invented certain newand usefulImprovements in Bean-Sorting bIachines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable o-thers skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention is a machine for sorting beans, peas, cranberries,huckleberries, or any seeds or berries that are inclined to roll.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive, yeteflicient device for sorting out mis-shapen or defectiveseeds or fruits.

For the purpose of description I will describe the machine as applied tothe sorting of beans.

The invention consists in the devices illustrated and claimed and theequivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of such a machine; and Fig. 2is a top plan view with the upper guide rail removed.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the device consists in a frame 1carrying a hopper Q in which is located any suitable form of feedingdevice as the feed roll 3. Below the feed roll is a flat table or tray 4preferably of wood, arranged at an incline, the upper end being pivotedat 5 to the frame of the machine and the lower end being verticallyadjustable by means of a chain G or other device, whereby theinclination of the table may be varied to suit the material beingsorted. Near the upper end of table 4 is mounted a pair of sprockets 7,and, carried by the lower' end of the table, a pair of sprockets 8. Achain 9 connects one of the sprockets 7 with itsI corresponding sprocketS, and the two parallel chains 9, 9 are connected at intervals bycross-bars 10, 10, these cross-bars carrying on their under sides setsof scraping blades 11 arranged at an angle of about 45 with thedirection of travel of the bars 10. Successive bars 10 have their bladesoppositely disposed as shown in Fig. 2. Between each pair of bars is athird bar 12 having downwardly projecting prongs or fingers 13. Thescraping blades 11 and the prongs 13 travel upward along the table 4 asthe material is fed from the hopper 2 onto the table. The more perfectbeans roll down the table, passing in and out between the successiveupwardly moving' blades 11 and between the prongs 13, being onlyslightly retarded thereby and ultimately rolling olf the bottom edge ofthe table 4 into a suitable chute 14, while the imperfectly shaped,rough, or split beans are carried up by the successive action of theupwardly traveling blades 11 and prongs 13 until they ultimately dropover the top edge of the table into a chute 15. The inclined bladesagitate the beans and also work them toward the upper edge of the table.The prongs 13 agitate them and also spread them across the table.Preferably the rear ends of the blades of one set are staggered withrefer-ence to the front ends of the blades of the next succeeding set.

In case soft materialis being handled, such as green peas, I providemeans for cleaning the scraping blades 11 and the prongs 13 at eachpassage through the machine, this means consisting preferably of asuitable brush 1G extending across the machine from side to side beneaththe table, and adapted to brush the blades and prongs as they pass.

To properly guide and support the crossbars 10 and 12 as they pass overthe upper surface of the table I provide a guide rail 17 upon which theprojecting endsof the bars may slide, and to prevent the bars fromlifting, a seco-nd guide rail 18 is placed above the first rail.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a sorting machine of the class described, the combination with aframe, of a hopper, feeding devices, an inclined table, cross-barslocated above said table and extending from side to side; means fortraversing said cross-bars up said table; angularly disposed scrapingblades carried by said cross-bars, and means for actuating saidcross-bars, for the purposes set forth.

2. In a sorting machine of the class described, the combination with aframe, of hopper, feeding devices, an inclined table, cross-bars locatedabove said table and extending from side to side; means for traversingsaid cross-bars up said table; angularly disposed sets of scrapingblades carried by said cross-bars, the blades of successive sets beingoppositely inclined; and means for actuating said cross-bars, for t-hepurposes set forth.

3. In a sort-ing machine of the class described, the combination with aframe, of a hopper, feeding devices, an inclined table, cross-barslocated above said table and eX- tending from side to side, supportingguides for the ends of said bars, sprocket chains secured to the ends ofsaid bars, sprockets, and means for actuating said sprockets; angularlydisposed sets of scraping blades carried by certain of said barsftheblades of successive sets being inclined and staggered; downwardlyextending prongs carried by intermediate bars; and means for varying theinclination of said table.

et. In a sorting machine of the class described, the combination With aframe, of a hopper, feeding devices, an inclined table pivotallysupported at one end, means secured to the other end of said table forvarying its inclination, cross-bars located above said table andextending from side to side; means for traversing said cross-bars upsaid table; angiilarly disposed scraping blades carried by saidcross-bars, and'ineans for actuating said cross-bars, for the purposesset forth.

cross-bars located above said table and eX tending from side to side;means for traversing said cross-bars up said table; angu larly disposedsets of scraping blades carried by certain ofsaid bars; the blades ofsuccessive sets being oppositely inclined, the rear ends of the bladesof one set being staggered with reference to the front ends of theblades of the neXtsucceeding set; and means for actuating saidcross-bars.

6. In a sorting machine of the class described, the combination with aframe, feeding devices, an inclined table, cross-bars located above saidtable and extending from side to side; means for traversing saidcrossbars up said table; angular-ly disposed sets of scraping bladescarried by certain of said bars; and downwardly extending prongs carriedby intermediate bars, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of tivoWitnesses.

CHARLES E. SMITH. lVitnesses:

CHRISTINE A. BRAIDEL, ROY VALLIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patente Washington, D. C.

